Decorative covering and process of manufacturing the same



Patented Nov. 24, 1936 PATENT OFFICE- DECORATIVE COVERING AND PROCESS OFMANUFACTURING THE SAIWE James .l. Jackson, Woodbury, N. 1., assignor toPaulsboro Manufacturing Company, a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing.

Application March 2, 1933,

Serial No. 659,435 7 18 Claims. 1 (Cl. 9168) This invention relates todecorative sheet material and to processes of manufacturing the same.

The product is an improvement in soft surfaced sheet material to beemployed as covering for floors or walls or the like. The product may beused satisfactorily for all of the purposes for which linoleum, orpainted coverings have been used. It is an improvement on sheet goodshaving textile or felt backings, whether used for floors or walls.

This new development pertains particularly to the impregnation andsaturation of the fibrous sheet and one object of the present inventionis to provide efiicient and speedy procedure for treating fibrous sheetmaterial to increase the speed of penetration of decorative or saturantmaterials applied thereto.

A further object is to provide a method by which a decorative sheet ofremarkable tough- .ness and flexibility may be obtained.

In the manufacture of floor coverings, wall paper, or other decorativesheet materials, particularly sheet materials in which color decora- 5tions extend from the surface into the body of the sheet either part ofthe way or all the way through, it is important that the variousmaterials that are applied to obtain the desired efiects, shallpenetrate rapidly and also that the 30 sheet material be tough towithstand wear and tear. The finished sheet material must also beflexible and must not crack when put up inrolls or otherwise handled.Besides, it must be waterproof, alkali and acid proof. -These and other35 qualities are combined to a high degree in the product of the presentinvention.

The present invention includes treating a porous, fibrous sheetwith atoughening medium including oil, or latex, or lacquer. This treatment 40is used to especial advantage on sheets which have been firstdecorated--with such coloring ma-' terials as inks, dyes or paints. Thetreatment is so controlled that the voids in the sheet are only partlyfilled. Also, if the decorations have been applied to a sheet and extendeither part grand after applying oil, or latex, or lacquer and I eningagent to insure wear.

allowing the latter to dry, the voids are filled to the extent of fromabout 30% to 40%.

By applying oil, or latex, or lacquer, or the like to a fibrous sheet towhich decorative material has been applied, the sheet is toughened andthe 5 decorative material sealed. By not completely filling the-voids, amuch softer and more pliable sheet is 'obtained. Prior to this inventionfibrous sheets have been decorated throughout their thickness andsaturated throughout withatough- 10 It has now been found thatpeculiarly fine and desirable effects can be obtained by thusincompletely filling the sheet with saturant.

For certain purposes, a sheet as prepared in 15 the manner describedabove may be considered a finished product. However, if oil or latex areemployed as toughening and sealing media, it is preferable to furthertreat the dried sheet with lacquer. After the latter is applied anddried, 20 the voids are filled to the extent of about 50%. The lacquerfilm is found to adhere firmly to a previously applied oil or latexfilm. The sheet is further strengthened thereby; is made more resistantto the effects of water, easier to clean, and is practically stainproof.Ordinary writing inks, for example, may be readily removed by rubbingthe surface with'fa cloth dampened with water. A noteworthy feature ofadvantage may be. observed from the fact that the sheet is so treatedthat, .after the various steps, it remains "soft in appearance andflexible although tough and durable. Thus it is apparent that thepresent invention pi'ovides for the preparation of a decorative, toughand durable sheet by a sequence of penetrating treatments no one ofwhich, or the combination of them all, in the completed product, resultsin com'plete filling of the voids between the fibers. r

By way of example, a preferred form of the 40 present invention isthefollowing:

A fibrous sheet is printed or decorated by any desired methodor means soas to have the coloring matter throughout but not filling the spacebetween the fibers, and permittedto dry. The decorated sheet is thentreated in a bath containing about by volume of a drying oil suchv aslinseed oil or tung oil, and about 50% by volume of naphtha or benzol.The sheet is treated so that after it is dry the voids are only partlyfilled. Then the sheet istreated with lacquer containing about 25% to30% solids and 75% to'70% solvents. The lacquer is preferably anitrocellulose lacquer. The lacquer is applied so that after drying, thevoids in the sheet are still only partly filled.

The above process may be somewhat modified by first treating a fibroussheet with a toughening medium, then decorating and finally applying thelacquer.

The amount of material applied to a sheet to only partially fill thevoids, may be controlled in various ways. For example, the proportion ofvolatile solvent may be varied, or an excess of oil, latex, or lacquermay be applied and the surplus squeezed out by passing the sheet throughsqueeze rolls. In the latter case the amount may be varied by adjustingthe distance between the rolls. By such procedure the materialintroduced to effect toughening is partially removed, the first methodin which a volatile solvent is used resulting in evaporation in thecourse of drying, and the second method involving the squeezing toremove the surplus above that amount necessary to coat the fibers. Byboth methods the pores or voids between the fibers are left somewhatopen.

Volatile solvents are generally preferred when employing heavy, oxidizedoil, in order to have it flow freely around the fibers of a sheet.However the oil can be thinned by heat so that solvent may be omitted.

As referred to above, the amount of solvents used'depends on the amountof oil that is to be left on the fibers. If 25% of solvents is used inan oil, latex, or lacquer bath a heavier film is left on the fibers thanif 75% of solvents are used. With the latter proportion a relativelylight film is left. As a part of the present invention, it has beenfound that moistening of a fibrous sheet with a solution containingpreferably about one part by volume of heavy boiled linseed oil to aboutfive parts by volume of naphtha or benzol, before decoration, results incertain advantages. By applying such a moistening solution, thedecorating material, particularly paint, need not be quite as thin asusual. By using a more viscous decorating material, the quantity on theprint blocks of a print machine is more easily controlled. Thedecorating material passes into the voids of a sheet much faster andpenetrates to a greater depth than if directly applied to a dry sheet.For this reason it is possible to use sheets of greater thickness. Theforegoing applies to the proportions of solvents in all materials used,whether intended for the moistening solution, or the decorative medium,or the saturant toughening agent.

The decorative material is applied as soon as possible after using themoistening material. Ar. efficient means of accomplishing this is topass the sheet goods through a print machine and deposit the moisteningmaterial thereon by means of the first print block. The moistening agentpenetrates the sheet goods very rapidly and reaches the entire depth ofthe sheet before passing to the succeeding blocks with which coloringmatter is applied. If desired, the moistening material may be applied bya separate machine just before the sheet is passed into a print machine.A lapse of eight or ten seconds between the time moistening material isapplied and the time print paint is applied, has given satisfactoryresults.

If desired, a backing material including oil, lacquer, dyes, glue,latex, casein or gum may be applied to one side of a fibrous sheetbefore coloring or moistening. The backing material is applied in anamount which is sufficient to penetrate only part of the way through thesheet as disclosed in my Patent 2,028,781, issued January 28, 1936. Asstated in the said patent, the backing material may penetrate apredetermined distance through the sheet or all the way through thesheet. larly to replace the step of moistening the face of the goodswhich is recommended as a step to condition the goods for the receptionof the decorative medium.

The moistening material and also the backing material should preferablybe compatible with the decorating material. For example, when printingwith 'water dyes or inks it is preferable to use aqueous materials,including water dyes or inks, for backing or moistening rather than oilymaterials.

Various types of cellulose fiber sheets may be employed in the presentinvention. Unexpected and remarkable effects in appearance and wearingquality are particularly obtainable by using a new type of felt sheetpeculiar in that it has what may be defined as curled or kinky cellulosefibers such as Wood pulp. One such product now available is known asKrafelt and is identified and described in patents of R. G. J ackson,1,998,779 and 1,998,780.

One characteristic appearance of the floor coverings made by thisinvention from the curly fiber type of sheet is the obtainable velvetytexture of the surface which has an actual nap surface when the sheet istreated as prescribed herein. As pointed out above the voids in thesheet are only partly filled as distinguished from substantiallycompletely filled as set forth in my Patent 2,028,782, issued January28, 1936. It is found that the more completely the pores are filled thesmoother the surface of the sheet becomes, and the less the nap althoughthe latter may at any time be raised mechanically.

Certain additional peculiar advantages are obtained as a result of usingthe type of absorbent felt base described and in treating in the mannerexplained herein. Due to the fact that the fibers in Krafelt areswollen, they make a more open felt than previously known; also paintsand dyes penetrate better than they do in providing similar treatment toother sheets, and also due to the fact that the fibers are curled,hooked, and intertwined together and extend in all directions, thecoloring materials, although they may follow the fiber, do not spreadout laterally so far as they would on fibrous material heretofore knownand in which the fibers are matted and extend laterally. For thisreason, more definite lines may be formed in the resultant product byprinting or otherwise applying decorations. The printed or colored linesare smoother on the edges due to the fact that the fibers are kinked andcurled and extend as far into the sheet as they extend laterally.

In employing the above type of fibrous sheet it is also found that thereis practically no lateral spread of the coloring medium either withinthe body of the sheet or at the surface, so that uniformity of outlineof designs is obtained throughout the thickness of the sheet. Thisresults in a manufacturing factor in which the penetration of thedecorative material in this new type of fibrous sheet is as great and asuniform as the surface spread. This is quite in contrast to What Thelatter is done particuwould result in surface application of coloringfiuids to previously known papers or felts, inasmuch that in the latterthe surface spread is very much greater than the penetration and thesurface markings much more irregular than in the case of this new sheet.

What I claim is:

1. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrousabsorbent sheet materials, which process comprises applying coloringmaterial to a porous fibrous absorbent sheet and treating the sheetpenetratingly with the said coloring material to tint the fibers welldown in the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces betweenthe fibers sufficiently open for the introduction of furtherimpregnating material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated topenetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thusprovidea coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, andremoving a portion of said toughening agent from said sheetto thusprovide a sheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fib'ers.

2. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrousabsorbent sheet materials, which process comprises applying coloringmaterial to a porous fibrous absorbent sheet and treating the sheetpenetratingly with the said coloring material to tint the fibers welldown in the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces betweenthe fibers sufiiciently open for the introduction of furtherimpregnating material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated topenetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thusprovide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet sothat the sheet contains toughening material in the spaces between thefibers, and removing a portion of said liquid medium from said sheet bypressing the sheet to squeeze out a portion of the liquid to thusprovide a sheet having the spaces between the fibers incompletely filledwith toughening material. I

3. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrousabsorbent sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous absorbent sheet with a diluent solution of drying oilsubstantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediately thereafterapplying coloring material penetratingly to tint the fibers well downinto the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces'between thefibers suficiently 'openso that further impregnating agents can beintroduced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with aliquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus I provide a coatingof toughening materialon the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portionof said toughening agent from said sheet to thus provide a sheet havingincompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

4. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrousabsorbent sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous absorbent sheet with a diluent solution of dryingoilsubstantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediatelythereafter fibers sufficiently open so that further impreg-' natingagents can be. introduced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated topenetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thusprovide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet, andremoving by evaporation a portion of said liquid medium from said sheetto thus provide a sheet having incompletely filled pores between thefibers. I

5. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrousabsorbent sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous absorbent sheet with a diluent solution of drying oilsubstantially through the thickness of the sheet, immediately thereafterapplying coloring material penetratingly to tint the fibers well downinto the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces between thefibers sufiiciently open-so that further impregnating agents can beintroduced, subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with aliquid medium containing a toughening agent to thus provide a coating oftoughening material on the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portionof said toughening agent from said sheet by pressing the sheet tosqueeze out a portion of the toughening agent to thus provide a sheethaving incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

6. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porous fibrousabsorbent sheet materials, which process comprises applying coloringmaterial to a porous fibrous absorbent sheet and treating the sheetpenetratingly with the said coloring material to tint the fibers welldown in the body of the sheet while yet maintaining the spaces betweenthe fibers sufiiciently open for the introduction of furtherimpregnating material, subjecting the sheet thus decorated topenetration with a liquid medium containing a toughening agent to thusprovide a coating of toughening material on the fibers in the sheet,removing a portion of said toughening agent from said sheet to thusprovide a sheet having incompletely filled pores between the'fibers,drying the resultant product, and applying to the sheet a mixtureincluding lacquer and a volatile solvent penetratingly' to enter thespaces between the fibers from which the portion of the toughening agenthas been removed and drying the lacquer thus applied to eliminate thevolatile content thereof and permimhe spaces to be incompletely filled.

7. A decorative sheet consisting of a fibrous web having decorativecoloring of paint extending from one facejthereof deep down into theweb, and a substantially transparent toughening agent selected from agroup consisting of drying 'oil, latex, and lacquer extendingsubstantially through the thickness of the web, the spaces between thefibers of said web being only partially filled with the paint andtoughening agent.

8. A decorative sheet consisting of a fibrous web formed of curlycellulose fibers having deco-1 rative coloring of paint extending fromone face thereof deep down into the web, and a toughening agent selectedfiom a group consisting of drying oil, latex, and lacquer extendingsubstantially through the thickness of the web, the spaces between thefibers of said web being only partially filled with the paint andtoughening agent.

9. A decorative sheet consisting of a fibrous web having decorativecoloring extending from one face'thereof deep down into the web, and atoughening agent coating the fibers substantially through the thicknessof the web, said sheet including an impregnated saturant of lacquerintroduced subsequently to said toughening agent and superimposed overthe latter, the product being soft bodied and the spaces betweenthefibers being incompletely filled with toughening agent and lacquer.

10. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porousfibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous sheet with a material selected from either a drying oil, latexor lacquer, in dilute condition, substantially through the thickness ofthe sheet, immediately thereafter applying coloring materialpenetratingly to tint the fibers well down into the body of the sheetwhile yet maintaining the spaces between the fibers sufliciently open sothat further impregnating agents can be intro duced, subjecting thesheet thus decorated to penetration with a toughening agent selectedfrom either a drying oil, latex or lacquer to thus provide a coating oftoughening material on the fibers in the sheet, and removing a portionof said toughening agent from said sheet to thus provide a sheet havingincompletely filled pores between the fibers.

11. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which processcomprises applying a toughening agent in dilute condition and containinga drying oil to a porous fibrous sheet and coating the fibers in thebody of the sheet therewith but not filling the interstices between thefibers, applying to the sheet thus treated coloring material to efiectpenetration and coloring of fibers well down into the thickness of thesheet without filling the interstices between the fibers, applying tothe decorated sheet a saturant in fluid form to coat the fibers withinthe sheet and so that the saturant is in the interstices between thefibers, and compressing the sheet to squeeze out some of the saturant sothat the interstices are incompletely filled.

12. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which processcomprises applying coloring matter to a porous fibrous felt sheet anddecorating the sheet therewith so as to penetrate well down into thethickness thereof but avoiding filling of the spaces between the fibers,applying penetratingly to the decorated sheet a toughening agentcontaining drying oil so that the sheet contains saturant in the voidsbeween the fibers, and while that agent is still in the fluid statecompressing the sheet and thereby squeezing out a portion of thetoughening agent so that voids between the fibers are incompletelyfilled and the resultant sheet is porous and softer than if -the entireamount of the toughening agent had been permitted to remain in thesheet.

'13. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which processcomprises applying a toughening agent in diluent condition andcontaining a drying oil penetratingly to a porous fibrous felt sheet andcoating the fibers in the body of the sheet therewith but not fillingthe interstices between the fibers, applying to thesheet thus treatedcoloring material to effect penetration and coloring of fibers well downinto the thickness of the sheet without filling the voids between thefibers, applying to the decorated sheet a saturant in liquid conditionand thereby coating the fibers within the sheet, and while the saturantstill is in liquid condition compressing the sheet to thus squeeze out aportion of the saturant while yet permitting some saturant to remain inthe voids between the fibers, whereby the sheet is more porous andsofter than if the entire amount of saturant had remained in the sheet.

14. A process of manufacturing decorative sheet material, which processcomprises applying coloring matter to a porous fibrous sheet anddecorating and penetrating the sheet therewith without filling the voidsbetween the fibers, applying to the decorated sheet a saturanttoughening agent containing drying oil penetratingly and coating thefibers in the body of the sheet therewith so that the saturanttoughening agent is in the voids between the fibers but not fillingthem,

drying the resulting product, impregnating the sheet with a saturanttoughening agent in liquid condition to further coat the fibers withinthe sheet, and while the saturant is still in liquid conditioncompressing the treated sheet to thus squeeze out a portion of thesaturant so that the resultant sheet is porous and softer than if theentire amount of the toughening agent had been retained in the sheet.

15. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porousfibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous sheet with a conditioning agent applied penetratingly to thesheet while leaving the spaces between the fibers relatively open, andbefore the conditioning agent is dry, applying penetratingly to thesheet coloring material in a liquid medium compatible with saidconditioning agent while leaving the spaces between the fiberssufficently open for the reception of further material, subjecting thesheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid medium comprising atoughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable material within thebody of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquid medium frombetween the fibers to thus provide a decorated and toughened sheethaving incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

16. The ,process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porousfibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous sheet with a conditioning agent comprising drying oil appliedpenetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibersrelatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applyingpenetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid mediumcompatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces betweenthe fibers sutficiently open for the reception of further material,subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid mediumcomprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable materialwithin the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquidmedium from between the fibers to thus provide a dec rated and toughenedsheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

1'7. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porousfibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous sheet with a conditioning agent comprising latex appliedpenetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibersrelatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applyingpenetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid mediumcompatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces betweenthe fibers suificiently open for the reception of further material,subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid mediumcomprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable materialwithin the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquidmedium from between the fibers to thus provide a decorated and toughenedsheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

18. The process of manufacturing decorative coverings from porousfibrous sheet materials, which process comprises moistening a porousfibrous sheet with a. conditioning agent comprising lacquer appliedpenetratingly to the sheet while leaving the spaces between the fibersrelatively open, and before the conditioning agent is dry, applyingpenetratingly to the sheet coloring material in a liquid mediumcompatible with said conditioning agent while leaving the spaces be- 10tween the fibers sumciently open for the reception of further material,subjecting the sheet thus decorated to penetration with a liquid mediumcomprising a toughening agent to thus provide a tough, wearable materialwithin the body of the sheet, and removing a portion of said liquidmedium from between the fibers to thus provide a decorated and toughenedsheet having incompletely filled spaces between the fibers.

JAMES J. JACKSON.

